About Us

Our Mission

Improve the welfare and alleviate the suffering of all island animals through medical services, humane education and advocacy.

Reduce the unwanted animal population through low cost sterilization and education.

Provide refuge and adoptions to stray, relinquished, and abused animals.

Our History

Vieques Humane Society (VHS) got its informal start in the mid 1980s when a group of concerned animal-loving friends launched their mission to alleviate the very visible suffering of Vieques animals. They fed strays out of the trunks of their cars, hitched ropes to their trucks to help winch animals free from cisterns and pools, and crawled under porches to gather abandoned dogs and cats.

Our capacity has expanded greatly since our early days, enabling us to help more and more animals in need. Today, VHS continues its mission to alleviate animal overpopulation and suffering. Every Wednesday, our vet spays and neuters roughly twelve animals. On Tuesdays, the doctor sees dogs and cats for general health and welfare visits. Unfortunately, animals requiring x-rays or specialized surgery are still required to go the main island for treatment. And there is still no veterinary care for horses. We hope to change that in the future.

We are proud of what we do and plan to continue to grow and help animals on our beloved island.

There are less than 10 animal shelters in all of Puerto Rico. Proudly, Vieques Humane Society and Animal Rescue was one of the first! We have come a long way. But even with our successes, there is still a long way to go to solve all the challenges inherent to a small island with high poverty. It is only through your support that our mission will be accomplished…that every animal entering our shelter finds a forever home!